Tombs, let's face it, are not high on anyone's list of
things to see while in Japan. Yet, from the pyramids of
Egypt to the catacombs of Rome and India's Taj Mahal,
various types of mausolea do make it into several other
overseas itineraries. This may be on account of their
historical significance, architectural beauty or sheer
monumentality. There is also the fascination with death
and the way that it is treated from one age to another
or from one culture to the next. For archaeologists and
anthropologists, it goes without saying that tombs are
among their most important sources for data about
societies for which there is little else to go on. Burial
artifacts and practices can tell a lot about the lifestyles,
technology and religious beliefs of a people. To an astute
investigator, a single shard can open up vistas of knowledge.
Japan is not without some imposing tombs of its own. The
Nintoku Mausoleum in Sakai City and the Ojin Mausoleum in
Habikino City, Osaka, are both more than 400 meters long.
These huge, man-made burial mounds are impressive if
frustratingly silent testaments to the powerful rulers
and the highly organized society that constructed them.
To these massive structures we can add a dozen or so tombs
of comparable size as well as hundreds of much smaller
dimensions. If you hike around the Nara area, especially,
you are likely to come across some of these. But you may
be a little disappointed with the dearth of information
that is made available. Let me illustrate with an example.
Earlier this spring, I walked along the Yamanobe no michi,
which is a trail running from Nara's Tenri to Sakurai
Cities. It covers the course of an ancient route used more
than 14 centuries ago. There are several guidebooks and
many of the sights along the way are well marked, so a walk
along this route can be very educational. Here and there
along the route there are several kofun, or burial mounds.
Some are said to belong to members of the ancient imperial
family others are not. It is not surprising that the more
impressive ones belong to the former category.
The most striking contrast between the two types of tomb
and the most revealing illustration of some curious
historical discrepancies is provided by the Kushiyama
kofun (ωRΓjand the so-called tomb of Emperor Sujin
( _VcΛ). These are located right next to one another,
with the former situated on the hillside just above the
larger imperial tomb. The latter is roughly 240-meters long
and surrounded by a moat and spiked fence. The much smaller
Kushiyama kofun is completely accessible. In fact, were it
not for the sign, one might easily walk right by and not
notice it. The weather-beaten sign does, however, provide
some of the essential facts pertaining to the style of
kofun, artifacts uncovered, probable date of construction
and so on - not much, but something. Figuring that the
larger and far more impressive Sujin-tenno-ryo would have
even more information, I walked the extra five or ten
minutes to its entrance. To my chagrin and dismay, the
only sign I found simply warned visitors not to trespass,
picnic or fish in the moat. Checking my guidebook, I found
only that the tomb is "designated as the mausoleum of the
tenth Emperor Sujin who is said to have ruled between 97
and 29 BC."
One does not have to be a seasoned archeologist to see
that this is a lot of hooey, as the carefully worded
guidebook description implies. A cursory comparison
with the non-imperial tomb (said to have been built
in the fifth century) with the imperial tomb (no dates
given) reveals that the Kushiyama mound is certainly the
older of the two. First of all, it is much smaller and
built into the existing hillside (a feature of early- stage
kofun). The scale of the imperial tomb and its location
on the flat plain in front of the Kushiyama kofun clearly
show it to be of a later date than that non-imperial tomb.
Finally--though an innocent tourist would not be expected
to know it--the first century BC dates for Emperor Sujin
are entirely suspect. I doubt there is a serious scholar
anywhere in Japan or elsewhere who would endorse this dating.
Though my guidebook cleverly equivocates ("designated... said
to have ruled..."), it is nevertheless guilty of duplicity
in not going the extra mile and adding that the BC dates are
spurious. I suppose we are simply expected to read between
the lines.
One cannot help wondering why these massive imperial tombs
are not given greater explanation, but then the answer
dawns quite clearly. The officials in charge of the imperial
tombs have nothing to say because anything they said would
either contradict their own position or invite the ire of
many scholars who know and can show it to be untrue. Silence
is golden.
But there is a real problem here, I think. And it may not be
unrelated to more contemporary questions of history and
historical revisionism. The question of imperial tombs and
archeological excavation neatly encapsulates many of these
issues.
No other country is the setting for as much archeological
activity as Japan. More than 300,000 sites have been located
(about one per every square kilometer; two per every square
mile). Partly, this is owing to the rapid development of
Japanese land, which inevitably leads to the unearthing of
artifacts from the past. These must then be studied. In
addition, archeology in Japan is supported at a number of
levels, from the national government down to local town
councils and amateur or volunteer researchers. The general
public has also shown a great interest and fascination with
progress in the area of archeology. A major find is often
reported as front page news.
For all this admirable interest in archeology and digging
up the past, it is odd that some of the most promising sites
for investigation-- the imperial tumuli-- are strictly
verboten. The Imperial Household Agency, or Kunaicho
({ΰ‘), maintains that these are the ancestral tombs of
the imperial family, and therefore cannot be made the object
of intrusive study. The fear is of desecrating the eternal
resting places of the imperial ancestors. (One might be
interested to note that the only other places off-limits to
archeological study are military bases of the US forces and
the SDF.)
According to a definition given in the koshitsu tempan
(cΊTΝ; Imperial Household Regulations), there are 893
sites that come under either the heading "ryo" (mausoleum)
or "haka" (tomb). These are for emperors, empresses, crown
princes, wives and other members of the imperial family.
The total area occupied by these sites comes to 6,525,695
square meters. In addition to these 893 sites there are
so-called ryobo sanko-chi ( ΛζQln; "Mausoleum Reference
Sites"), which are also off-limits to archeological
investigation.
Though the official count adds up to more than eight hundred
imperial grave sites, the total number of tombs that scholars
consider to be authentic, ancient kofun comes to about 240.
That's 240 sites which might otherwise tell so much about
Japan's ancient past.
Let's take the two largest tombs-- those of Nintoku and Ojin--
as an example. According to the Nihonshoki ( ϊ{I), both
of these emperor's ruled in the early fourth century (Ojin
r. 270-310; Nintoku r. 313-399), but very few scholars accept
this for a variety of reasons-- one of which is the obvious
fifth-century construction of their respective tombs. There
is also the widely supported theory that third and fourth
century dates in the Japanese chronicles were off by two
sexegenary cycles (2~60 = 120 years), which would put all
fourth century dates in the fifth century, thereby making
it possible that the tombs designated as Nintoku's and Ojin's
are really theirs. But, alas, even this is regarded with
strong suspicion. Mori Koichi, one of the leading archeologists
in Japan, adamantly refuses to call the Sakai City tomb the
Nintoku-ryo, referring to it, instead, as the Daisan (or
Oyama?) kofun (εRΓ).
It is tempting to present more of the evidence for disbelief,
but it can get pretty technical. For practical reasons, let's
just say that the tombs may not be what the Imperial Household
Agency says they are. Still there is little doubt that these
huge tombs didn't belong to major figures in the formation of
the early Japanese state. The fifth century-- when these
structures were probably built-- was a critical period in the
emergence of the Yamato kingdom. Many very serious questions
about the process of formation are still cloaked in mystery.
It would be wrong to suppose that the excavation of imperial
tombs will answer all our questions, but certainly such a
project would help resolve a great many.
Though tombs like Nintoku's and Ojin's are under the controlled
protection of the Kunaicho and cannot be excavated, we have
a tantalizing idea of what they might contain. A large number
of objects was recovered from the Ariyama baicho, or accessory
mound near Ojin's Mausoleum. These included more than 3,000
iron swords along with variously shaped haniwa sculptures.
In 1872, a small landslide in the front mound of the Nintoku
Mausoleum revealed a vertical-style-entrance (or tateana-shiki)
burial chamber, characteristic of early-stage kofun. It
contained iron armor, weapons, gilt bronze ornaments and a
glass bowl from Persia. Paving stones appear to have covered
the surface of the tomb. In both cases, we are dealing with
the tip of the iceberg. Certainly greater treasures lie
buried in the central portions of the main tomb. Unfortunately,
we can only imagine what they are.
Archeologists have petitioned the Imperial Household Agency
but have had little success. Even requests for more information
on the process by which these tombs were officially designated
have been fruitless. (The scholars were told, for example, that
many records were lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake!) About all
the archeologists have been able to do is get the Ministry to
promise to be more careful before "renovations" (which could
possibly damage the historical integrity of the sites) are
conducted. In their effort to attain assurances that the sites
will not be damaged we can detect some optimism on the part of
the archeologists. They are obviously hoping for the day when
they can unearth the secrets now buried within these tombs.
I can't say for sure, but I now suspect that the imperial
tomb my host family once took me to was that of Emperor Jimmu.
It is located in Kashihara City. Jimmu was the first emperor.
A national holiday, still celebrated in Japan, commemorates
his accession to the throne, an event recorded as having taken
place in 660 BC. (Wanna buy a bridge?)
(Next month: a look at some kofun in your area! Stay tuned.)
Anonymous